Review: From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1)

Title: From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 30, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

Review:

Poppy was chosen at birth to be the Maiden, never to be looked at or spoken to, waiting for her Ascension when she would be blessed by the gods. The kingdom is protecting her, by keeping her isolated and abused. However, they don’t expect Poppy to fight back. When one of her personal guards is killed in front of her, Poppy is assigned a brand new guard named Hawke. Poppy and Hawke have already had a secret romantic encounter, which would ruin Poppy if anyone found out about her rebellion. Poppy has to deal with all of these issues while also opening up to new love.

I’ve seen this book everywhere for the last year, and I knew I would love it before I read it. This story didn’t disappoint. It was incredibly detailed, but didn’t feel tedious. It followed every moment of these important days of Poppy’s life.

I felt like there was going to be a twist at the end, but it still shocked me. It was actually similar to a twist that I have in the book I’m currently writing, so I just loved it. This story was worth all the hype!

From Blood and Ash is an exciting romantic fantasy!

What to read next:

Other books in the series:

• A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
• The Crown of Gilded Bones

Have you read From Blood and Ash? What did you think of it?